In the absence of proof, why did the White House press corps advance the
sabotage claims? 1) The Bushies insist on talking on a not-for-attribution
basis if they talk at all, and this allowed them to embellish the scope of
Prankgate's "destruction" without suffering any blowback. 2) For all the
pomp and pageantry of inauguration week, there wasn't much news for the
press corps to report. So, mindful of who their masters will be for the next
four years, they accepted the Bushies' blind accounts. 3) Reporters are
suckers for stories that conform to their prejudices: It stood to reason
that the Clinton crew would make a graceless exit and that the grown-ups
from Texas would rise above it. 4) By Jan. 20 the ultra-efficient Clinton
spin machine had been unplugged and there was nobody to provide an
alternative account.